Chapter 122

"Why is it so... quiet today?" The moment Sasuke stepped into Konoha, a strange unease prickled at him. The streets, usually filled with chatter and gossip, were nearly deserted. A few villagers passed by in a hurry, but otherwise... nothing. ’Did everyone go home early for lunch?’ Good. Less people meant less chance of anyone seeing him. Sasuke tugged uncomfortably at the green jumpsuit clinging to his sweat-drenched body. Once he reached Ichiraku Ramen, he’d ditch the humiliation, grab a meal, and then head to the Academy for his... "special training" with Naruto and the others. Trailing behind Gai and Lee, Sasuke endured two eerily quiet streets—until the noise hit him. At first, it was a low murmur. Then, like an ocean tide, the sound swelled into a roaring commotion. "What’s going on?" Sasuke asked, frowning. "Ah, Sasuke!" Gai spun around, his teeth glinting like the sun. "No matter what happens—our youthful training must never falter!" Sasuke’s mouth twitched. He knew better than to reply. Experience had taught him one truth: silence is survival. If he said anything, Gai and Lee’s "youthful passion" would explode into speeches, tears, and possibly a public embrace. He shuddered at the memory. As they turned the final corner, the noise became deafening. "So lively!" Lee exclaimed, his eyes sparkling. Sasuke froze. His stomach sank. The entire street was packed with villagers and shinobi, all gathered for some unknown reason. ’No... No, no, no!’ Panic gripped him as realization dawned: he was still wearing the green jumpsuit. If the whole village saw him like this, not only would he lose face—the Uchiha name would be dragged down with him. Before he could retreat, he noticed Gai trembling—not with fear, but with excitement. "YOUTH NEEDS AN AUDIENCE!" Gai roared, fists raised to the heavens. Sasuke instinctively raised a hand to stop him. Too late. "Gai-sensei!" Lee’s thumb shot up like a kunai. "Let’s have a youthful showdown—first one to finish their ramen wins!" "I ACCEPT!" Gai’s teeth flashed like a second sun. "Lee! Prove your youth to me!" "GAI-SENSEI!" "LEE!" By now, both were weeping openly in the middle of the street. Sasuke’s soul quietly left his body. Then a familiar voice pierced the chaos: "Gai-sensei! Lee!" Naruto barreled into the scene, waving cheerfully. The three green maniacs immediately fell into a joyful reunion, radiating "youth" so strongly that the villagers instinctively gave them a ten-meter safety radius. Sasuke, meanwhile, felt every pair of eyes in the street locking on him. The whispers started. ’Is that... Uchiha Sasuke?’ ’Why is he... in that?’ He wanted to dig a hole and never come out. And then— "Sasuke-kun?" He stiffened. Slowly—oh so slowly—he turned his head. Sakura Haruno stood there, blinking in disbelief. "It really is you?" Ino gasped, eyes sparkling with wicked glee. "Sasuke, why are you wearing that?" "Ha... As expected of Sasuke," Shikamaru muttered with a lazy smirk. "Wearing that in public? You’ve got guts." "No!" Sakura wailed, covering her eyes. Sasuke’s face turned crimson. His mouth opened and closed uselessly. "I—I—I just—" ’Damn it! I should’ve taken this off the moment I entered the village!’ He covered his face, ready to bolt. "Y-You’ve got the wrong person!" "Sasuke." The voice froze him in place. Slowly, he turned. His pupils shrank. Itachi stood there. ’No... NO... NO!’ Beside him, Mikoto appeared, hand to her mouth, trying and failing to hide her shock. "Your outfit is... quite unique," she said carefully. "Mom—!?" Sasuke’s face went nuclear red. His mind spiraled into nightmare visions: ’My son wore this? Utterly shameful.’ ’Sasuke, you’ve destroyed the Uchiha’s dignity.’ He wanted to disappear from existence. Then... it happened. A tidal wave of raw emotion—shame, despair, and horror—erupted inside him. His body trembled, chakra surging uncontrollably. "...Sasuke?" Mikoto whispered. Scarlet light flared in his eyes. One tomoe... in each eye. Itachi’s eyes widened slightly. "...He awakened them?" Mikoto gasped. "Sasuke, your Sharingan!" "My... my what?" "You’ve awakened your eyes," Itachi said, voice soft but certain. Sasuke blinked, dazed, as the world slowed down. Every movement, every detail—the flicker of a fly’s wing—was crystal clear. ’This... is the Sharingan?’ Ino leaned in, eyes shining. "So cool!" Sakura clasped her hands, swooning. Itachi studied his little brother, both impressed and faintly amused. "To awaken the Sharingan at six years old... your talent even surpasses mine," he said quietly. And all it took was extreme... humiliation. Sasuke clenched his fists, feeling the surge of new power in his body. He had truly awakened the Sharingan... at the cost of his dignity. And the Uchiha Clan would never, ever let him live this down. "Hahaha!" Sasuke finally broke. All the humiliation, all the awkwardness—it burst out in uncontrollable laughter. But halfway through, he caught sight of the crowd staring, his face heating like a kettle. He swallowed the rest of his laugh, froze, and stood stiff as a board, cheeks burning crimson. "Oh?" Itachi’s eyes narrowed in faint surprise. He had just noticed a subtle ripple in Sasuke’s chakra—his eye power had grown a fraction stronger. Not much, but enough to inch him closer to the Two-Tomoe Sharingan. ’No way... Is awakening the Sharingan really possible like this?’ Itachi’s worldview wavered. Of all the triggers for Sharingan evolution—grief, rage, loss—he had never considered crippling embarrassment. "Everyone, don’t just stand around." A familiar voice cut through the tension. Kitazawa, late to the scene—or pretending to be—strode forward with a barely suppressed grin. "Since you’re here," he said, "why not join the eating contest?" In truth, Kitazawa had been observing for a while. Naruto’s timely arrival hadn’t been a coincidence; he had guided him. As for Mikoto and Itachi—they had stumbled across Sasuke themselves, drawn first by the three "beacons of youth" and only then by the mortified boy in green. All in all, Kitazawa silently awarded himself one-third of the credit for Sasuke’s current... "growth experience." "I—I’m going home to change first," Sasuke muttered, voice tight with desperation. "No need." Itachi’s lips curved into a teasing smile. "I think this outfit suits you." "Huh?" Sasuke blinked at him, horrified. ’Are you still my brother? Or have you caught... the Youth Virus?’ "It’s just clothes," Mikoto added gently. "Going home will only waste time." "But..." His pride wavered, hesitation written all over his face. "Let’s go." Itachi didn’t give him the chance to resist. He grabbed Sasuke’s hand and towed him straight into Ichiraku Ramen. Inside, the sight froze Sasuke mid-step. Across the room, Akimichi Choji and Hyuga Hinata were locked in a silent, deadly battle. A mountain of empty bowls towered between them. Villagers and shinobi crowded around, murmuring in disbelief. "Hinata can eat that much?" Even through his lingering embarrassment, Sasuke blurted, "What the hell...?" He could understand Choji. But Hinata? The shy girl who fainted when he made eye contact? "Good question," said Shikamaru, sprawled nearby with an unimpressed expression. "I’d like to know too." He and the others had eaten already, but they hadn’t taken their eyes off the spectacle. Choji and Hinata were locked in a battle for first place in the children’s division. "This must be a natural ability..." Sakura exhaled in awe. "So unfair." "If I had Hinata’s stomach, I’d eat like, three meals at every village I visited!" Ino added, eyes shining. "Excuse me," Ayame approached with a polite bow, "your orders will be a bit delayed." "It’s fine," Gai replied cheerfully, wiping a heroic tear. "A perfect chance to rest and savor the spirit of youth!" Ayame blinked at him, nodded, and fled to the kitchen. Nearby, Mikoto’s gaze lingered on Naruto. It was the first time she had seen him up close. Back when the Nine-Tails attacked, the Uchiha’s relationship with the Konoha leadership had soured. Danzo and the elders had quietly discouraged—or outright forbidden—contact with the Jinchuriki. Now, looking at the bright-eyed boy, Mikoto couldn’t help but think of Minato and Kushina, and a silent sigh stirred in her heart. "Sasuke," Itachi said lightly, glancing at her, "aren’t you going to introduce your classmates?" He knew opportunities like this were rare. Sharing a meal wasn’t "suspicious contact," and he wanted his brother to forge bonds he and Shisui never could. Perhaps Naruto, with his unique status, might even become a bridge between the Uchiha and the village. "I’m Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto declared before Sasuke could open his mouth, hand shooting into the air. "Hello," Mikoto greeted warmly. "I’m Sasuke’s mother, Uchiha Mikoto." "Mikoto-auntie! Your bentos are amazing!" Naruto blurted, eyes sparkling. "As long as you like them." She chuckled. "If there’s anything you want to eat, tell Sasuke. I’ll make it for you." "Really?! I—uh—" Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. "I can eat anything!" "It’s no trouble," Mikoto said, patting his spiky hair. "You’ll be helping me decide what to cook." Sasuke glanced between them, visibly short-circuiting. This... this dialogue... Wasn’t this supposed to be his? ’Did... did I just get homewrecked by Naruto?’ If the boy didn’t have such an obviously abnormal physique, Sasuke might’ve wondered if he was some long-lost biological brother. One by one, the introductions followed. "Mikoto-auntie, I’m Sakura Haruno!" Mikoto’s eyes softened. "Ah, Sakura. I’ve heard your theory grades are excellent." "Did—did Sasuke say that?" Sakura stammered, cheeks pink. "I didn’t!" Sasuke snapped instinctively. ’Why would I talk about her at home?!’ Mikoto only smiled to herself. She could see clearly enough where this girl’s heart lay. Then came Ino, Shikamaru, Kiba, and the rest. Kitazawa stayed quiet; he and Mikoto already knew each other. Meanwhile, Kitazawa’s system chimed: [Mission Complete: Help Uchiha Sasuke Awaken His Sharingan.] [Reward: Proficient-Level Yin Release Chakra Nature Transformation.] A wave of new understanding surged into him, pairing neatly with his earlier mastery of Yang Release. By his estimate, he now stood at Shinku Yuhi’s level, a true Genjutsu specialist. Next week, he’d round out his training and pick up Demonic Illusion: Mirage Crow, then pass it on to Kurenai. After all, she was his girlfriend—and every bit of power he could give her counted. If it came to it... maybe he’d just catch her a Tailed Beast someday. "Ramen’s ready!" Ayame returned with steaming bowls, but most eyes were still glued to the eating contest. "How many now?" Naruto asked, jaw dropping. "Choji’s at ten," Shikamaru said. "Hinata... twelve." "WHAT?!" Sakura nearly screamed. Even Mikoto and Itachi leaned forward, astonished. Minutes crawled by. Bowls stacked higher. The timer ticked down. "I’m full," Choji groaned, finally putting his chopsticks down. "You managed twenty bowls!" Ayame announced, then turned to Hinata, eyes wide. "You... twenty-five bowls." The crowd erupted.